Incubator.



No. 638,309. Patented Dec. 5, I899. E. W. ANDREWS.

INCUBATOR.

(Application filed July 7, 1899.)

(N0 Modal.)

W|TNE3SESF INVENTUR W 0: @MMWM I ATTORNEY TH: Mcmus PEYERS cu.PHoro-u'mo. WASHINGYON. n. c. a

' of the chamber.

Unrrnn drains A'IFN'I Utmos EDWIN W. ANDREWS, OF ELMIRA, NEW YORK,ASSIGNOR TO THE E. W; ANDREWS INOUBATOR COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

'INCUBATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,309, dated December5, 1899.

Application filed July 7,1899. Serial No. 723,064. (No model.) I

vember, 1893, the objects of my present invention being to improve theheater and thermostatic regulator andalso to improve the internalstructure of the incubating-chamber, as will hereinafter appear. Iattain these objects by the mechanisms and arrangement of partsillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents avertical section of the incubator on the line 1 1 in Fig. 2; Fig. 2, ahorizontal section of the same on line 2 2 in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 an endview and cross-section on the line 3 3 in Fig. 2.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throu ghout the several views.

A represents the outer casing of the incubator, which is supported,preferably, upon legs at a suitable distance from the floor. Theincubating-chamber A is provided at the front with the usual door ordoors, having glass therein, through which the interior of the chambermay be observed for the purpose of regulating the temperature and amountof moisture necessary for the proper manipulation of the eggs.

B and G represent transverse partitions at each end of theincubating-chamber, said partitions extending only part way to the topof the chamber.

D represents an egg-tray which is supported on suitable cleats betweenthe partitions B and O at a proper distance above the floor At theright-hand end and extending across the incubator to Within a.

short distance of the front and rear thereof is an inclosed water-box E,from which extend the horizontal radiating return-pipes F F, these pipespassing out from the lower portion of the box E and resting on the topof the partition B at one end and upon the shelf G at the other, whichsaid shelf rests upon the top of the partition 0 and forms therewith aseparate chamber at the left-hand end of the incubatingchamber for apurpose hereinafter pointed out. The pipes F F are arranged in pairs,being provided with returnbends at the ends remote from the water-box.Within the water-box E is a small or secondary chamber H, formed by apartition which rises to near the top of the box. The inner members ofthe return-pipes communicate with this secondary chamber H and the outermembers with the water-box E, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2.

Depending from the water-box E and communicating therewith att' is awater-drum I, a pipe h connecting this water-drum with the secondarychamber H, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and a cock t" being provided todraw off the water from the drum when desired.

Within the drum I is a conical hot-air flue J, communicating at thebottom with the atmosphere through a series of small holes j and at thetop with a horizontal flue K, extending transversely at each side acrossthe bottom of the Water-box E and provided at each end with chimneys orvents L L, which extend up through the top of the incubator. Within theflue J is a chimney M, which is of a conical shape to conform with theflue J up to the top of the horizontal flue K, through which it passesstraight up to and through the top of the incubator. A cylindricalsleeve 76 rises from the top of the flue K around the chimney M,formingan air-space between said chimney and the water contained in thewaterbox E. Near the lower end of the chimney M is a series of holes mfor a purpose hereinafter described. Below the incubatingchamber is theheater-lamp, said lamp being provided with a flaring chimney N, whichslips over the projecting end of the chimney M, forming thereby onecontinuous chimney from the lamp-burner to and through the top of theincubator. The lamp restsupon a shelf 0, hinged at the back to a bracket0, depending from the bottom of the incubator, said shelf being arrangedto swing down for the removal and replacement of the lamp, the front endof the shelf when the lamp is in position being held in place by asuitable I hook, (not shown,) which depends from the bottom of theincubator.

A pipe P extends downward from near the top of the water-box E throughthe bottom of the incubator, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, for the purposeof admitting air to the water-box above the water therein. Near the topof the box at the inner side are two holes (1 q, adapted to be openedand closed by a sliding shutter Q, operated from the front of theincubator by a rod Q.

R represents a thermostatic bar, preferably of hard rubber, whichextends obliquely across the incubating-chamber directly beneath theradiating pipes F, being fastened at one end to a bracket 7", attachedto the partition C and passing through a slit 1) in the partition B atthe other end. A screw-threaded rod 9" is fastened to this end of thebar and extends out through the end of the incubator, where it isprovided with a thumb-nut S. At a point in the rod R equidistant fromthe bracket 7" and where said rod passes through the partition B isfastened an upright rod T, which passes up through the top of theincubator and is coupled to the lever U, which said lever is pivoted tothe standard V and is provided at the extreme end with a pendent cap a,positioned directly over and adapted to close the chimney M. Theopposite end of the lever U is provided with a sliding weight WV.

A false top X, supported on cleats Y Y, extends transversely across theincubator above the water-boX E and the radiating pipes F, forming adead-air space between the incuhating-chamber and the top of theincubator. In order that none of the heat within the incubating-chambershall rise into said deadair space through the perforation for the rodT, this rod is surrounded by a tube 00, which is fastened into the falsetop X and the top of the incubator, the rod T passing out from said tubethrough a suitable stuffing-box. Airis admitted to the chamber formed atthe right-hand side of the incubator by the partition B through a hole aat the bottom of said chamber, and in the outside wall of the incubatorat this end, near the bottom thereof, are two additional inlet-holes a,provided with sliding shutters, only one of these holes a being shown inFig. 3.

Having thus described the several parts of my improved incubator, theoperation thereof is as follows: The water-box E, drum I, and radiatingpipes Fare first filled with water through the filler-cap e to the levelindicated in Figs. 1 and 3. The lamp is then lighted and placed inposition, as shown in Fig. 1, the heat therefrom passing directly upthrough the chimney M and imparting no heat to the Water, since saidchimney is separated from the water by an air-space throughout itsentire length. The weight WV on the lever U has previous to this beenrun back on said lever, so as to lift the cap a above the top ofthe'chimney M, thereby placing a tension on the thermostatic bar Rthrough the rod T and bowing said bar upward. As soon as the lightedlamp is in position the thumb-nut S is turned, thereby straightening thebow in the rod R and drawing the rod T downward, causing the cap a toclose down upon the top of the chimney M. The hot gases from the lampwill now pass through the holes m into the flue J, rising thence intothe horizontal flue K and passing to the chimneys L L, thereby heatingthe Waterin the drum I and in the water-box E and producing acirculation of hot water through the radiating pipes F, the secondarychamber H, and the return-pipe 7? back to the drum I. As soon as thetemperature in the incubating-chamber rises the rod R will expand andbow upward again, thereby allowing the cap u to be thrown away from thechimney M by the weight W. If the temperature within theincubating-chamber is not yet high enough, the thumb-nntS is againturned, putting thereby more tension upon the thermostatic bar R andcausing more heat to pass through the fines J K L L. When the rightdegree of temperature has been produced by the necessary number ofmanipulations of the thumb-nut S, the thermostatic regulator will takecare of itself thereafter without further attention, it being apparentthat as soon as the temperature fal ls the bar R will contract, therebydrawing the cap a down upon the chimney M and causing the hot air topass up from the chimney into the heating-fines, increasing the heat ofthe water in the circulating system, and that as soon as the temperaturerises again the expansion of bar R will cause cap to to rise and allowthe heat to pass directly out of the chimney M. The holes j, openinginto the bottom of the flue J, will cause a circulation of the outer airthrough the heater-fines, so as to prevent a dead-air space therein andthe conduction of heat from the chimney across the flues to the Water inthe heater.

A constant circulation of air from the outer atmosphere into and throughthe incubatingchamber is produced by way of the hole a up through theinlet-chamber formed by the partition B, the air passing up around thefront and rear ends of the Water-box E through the air-passages y y atthe ends of the cleatsYY, which said cleats otherwise fill the spacesbetween the ends of the water-box and the outer walls of the incubator.The air is warmed as it passes up around the Water-drum and over the topof the water-box, and it passes thence downward through the eggtray intoand through a suitable number of holes 0 at the bottom of the partitionC, thence rising up ward through the exit-chamber formed by partition 0and shelf G, and finally passing out through holes g at the opposite endof the incubator. Preferably I arrange the holes 0 singly or in pairs atthe front and rear ends of the partition 0, thereby causing the air tocirculate downward across the entire Width By properly adof theincubating-chamber.

j ustin g the slides over the holes a an increased circulation may beproduced through the incubating-chamber to any desired degree. If therebe not enough moisture in the outer air, the slide Q is drawn out, so asto partially or wholly open the holes q g at the top of waterbox IE,thereby allowing a circulation of air up through pipe P over the waterin the waterbox into the incubating-chamber, the air thus admitted beingpermeated with the moisture that exists at the top of the water-box.

By reason of the dead-air space at the top of the incubating-chamber thetemperature within the chamber will not be affected by climatic changesoutside of the incubator, and the heating apparatus will thereforeoperate more steadily, with the result that there will be very littlevariation of the temperature within the incubating-chamber after theincubator is properly placed in operation. It will be seen that the lampis left free to burn with a constant flame, the temperature of theheating system being adjusted by shifting the heat currents from thechimney to the fines, and vice versa. I attain by this means a moresteady and perfect regulation of the temperature than where thelamp-flame is governed by the thermostat.

Having thus described my improvements, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In an incubator, a heating systemcomprising a water-box, a radiating return-pipe extending out therefrominto the incubatingchamber, a drum depending from and in communicationwith the water-box, a connection between the drum and the radiatingreturnpipe whereby a circulation of water is produced through theseveral members of the system, hot-air flues extending upward throughthe drum and water-box, a chimney passing upward through the drum-flueand in communication therewith near the bottom, alamp below the chimney,and mechanism operated by a thermostatic bar within theincubatingchamber, whereby the heat from the lamp is diverted from thechimney into the fines and vice versa according to the temperature within said chamber.

2. In an incubator, a heating system comprising a water-box, a secondarychamber within the water-box, radiating return-pipes passing out fromthe water-box into the incubating-chamber and back to the secondarychamber, a drum depending from and in communication with the water-box,a pipe connecting the drum with the secondary chamber, hot-air fluesextending upward through the drum and branching out through thewater-box, said flues being open to the outer air at top and bottom, achimney passing upward through the drum-flue and in communicationtherewith near the bottom, an air-space be tween the chimney and thewater in the waterbox, a lamp below the chimney, and. mechanism operatedbya thermostatic bar Within the incubating-chamber, whereby the heatfrom the lamp is diverted from the chimney into the flues and vice versaaccording to the tem* perature within said chamber.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my sig nature in presence of twowitnesses.

EDWIN W. ANDREWS. Witnesses:

WM. R. COMPTON, H. M. LOVELL.

